Category: Newsflashes

A year with both pleasant and unpleasant memories, with good and bad times has passed. We are always thankful to God who sustained us through 2018. Allow me to take this opportunity to wish all our pastors a prosperous new year loaded with multiple blessings and breakthroughs! At the moment when you feel like giving up, victory is always within reach. Remember this in 2019!

2. NOB EMPOWERMENT VISITS 2019: A SPECIAL INVITATION

We hereby extend a special invitation to all our pastors, governing body members, national youth and leaders in the church to attend this year’s NOB (National Office Bearers) Empowerment Visits. The format is a combination of pre-recorded video material, live presentations, interactive dialogue sessions and opportunities for networking and fellowship. This year our theme is:Facing the Future with Lessons from the Past

This year will be the 4th consecutive year that we gather as Christians all across South Africa to cover our nation in prayer. In 2018 there were more than 250 prayer points where many local communities united in prayer over the same weekend! Up4SA (United Prayer for South Africa) is a nationwide Prayer initiative on grassroots level. (Grassroots CommUNITY Prayer – Across race and denomination).

As ambassadors of our Lord Jesus we can play a huge roll in unifying our communities! I would like to encourage and challenge you again to take hands with the “Up4SA 2019” team, as we unite in prayer for South Africa! We all acknowledge that 2019 is a very significant year for us as a nation, as it is South Africa’s general election year.

I ask all our pastors and community leaders to prayerfully consider volunteering and co-ordinating a prayer point in your local community. Every community leader that volunteers will receive a resource pack and will be empowered to coordinate the prayer point.

Receive herewith from the office and home of the General Secretary, a word of thanks and appreciation to all our Departments, Regional leaders, Secretaries, Treasurers and -Committees, as well as all our pastors and their spouses for your hard work, support and goodwill during 2018. I appreciate you. May God truly bless you during this festive season with His Joy and Peace, as you spend some quality time with your loved ones. For those of you who will be on the road going home or visiting friends and family: I pray for your save and rejuvenated return.

The administrative office will be closing today, Friday 14 December 2018 and opening again on Tuesday 8 January 2019. As you are beginning to view the new year in your mind’s eye, remember that you must send in your application form to renew your pastoral status before the end of 2019.

One of our Pastors, Romien Joubert is currently busy with studies on the wellbeing of South African Church Leaders which remains a cause for concern: “Many church leaders are struggling to passionately persevere in ministry.”

The theoretical argument of her study is that resilience and the intentional and holistic cultivation thereof, could add immense value in offering a solution. Please assist her by completing a questionnaire focused on exploring church leaders’ understanding of resilience, their current attempts to build it into their lives, and their current resilience levels. Your participation and contribution is crucial and highly valued. Thank you in advance for your time.

Next year will be the 4th consecutive year that we gather as Christians all across South Africa to cover our nation in prayer. In 2018 there were more than 250 prayer points where many local communities united in prayer over the same weekend! Up4SA (United Prayer for South Africa) is a nationwide Prayer initiative on grassroots level. (Grassroots CommUNITY Prayer – Across race and denomination).

As ambassadors of our Lord Jesus we can play a huge roll in unifying our communities! I would like to encourage and challenge you again to take hands with the “Up4SA 2019” team, as we unite in prayer for South Africa! We all acknowledge that 2019 is a very significant year for us as a nation, as it is South Africa’s general election year.

I ask all our pastors and community leaders to prayerfully consider volunteering and co-ordinating a prayer point in your local community. Every community leader that volunteers will receive a resource pack and will be empowered to coordinate the prayer point.

Please take note of the newly updated PCD website at www.pcdafm.co.za – book reports can easily be uploaded to the website. Please remember that all ordained pastors (excluding emeriti) need to accumulate 200 PCD credits by the end of December 2018 for the 2015-2018 PCD cycle. Completed PCD registers must first be send to the Regional PCD Coordinators who will process it and send it to the National PCD office.

Contact the PCD office at [email protected] 083 793 9112 or 083 2828 432 if you have any questions.

Warm Regards
Dr. Henri Weideman

3. SPECIAL REQUEST

One of our Pastors, Romien Joubert is currently busy with studies on the well being of South African Church Leaders which remains a cause for concern: “Many church leaders are struggling to passionately persevere in ministry.”

The theoretical argument of her study is that resilience and the intentional and holistic cultivation thereof, could add immense value in offering a solution. Please assist her by completing a questionnaire focused on exploring church leaders’ understanding of resilience, their current attempts to build it into their lives, and their current resilience levels. Your participation and contribution is crucial and highly valued. Thank you in advance for your time.

Our brothers and sisters in the AFM in Zimbabwe are currently going through a painful experience with a potential of the church splitting. As you may be aware the leadership of the AFM International is continuing with its intervention. In its intervention report a plea was made to all parties and groups to avoid any action that may lead to the splitting of the church. This has not yet happened. There are national church elections planned for this coming Saturday, 3rd November 2018. During these elections the national Office Bearers will be elected. This will take place when the other group, under the leadership of the current Deputy President, claim to have already elected the national Church leaders. Both groups are using the same constitution and the same name. I am asking that we pray for God’s intervention. Let us pray for an amicable resolution of all differences with a view of them becoming a united church again.

PASSING ON OF EUGENE PETERSON

Eugene Peterson, the Presbyterian pastor who authored 35 books amongst which is the Message Bible, passed on at the age of 85, a week after his admission into a hospice care for complications related to heart failure. He retired from pastoring in 1991 and became a Professor at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. Among his final words were: “Let’s go.” Let’s keep his bereaved family in our prayers.

The closing date for the acceptance of applications from AFM students who want to do theological training through North West University (Potchefstroom), is 30 October 2018. All applications must be done online through the following link:http://studies.nwu.ac.za/studies/how-apply-online.

AFM applicants studying with a view to be ordained by the AFM of SA need recommendations from their Assemblies’ Governing Bodies (AGB) and Regional Committees (RC). These recommendations are given after interviews have been conducted by both the AGB and RC. These recommendations must be made before the application forms are submitted to North West University.

Applicants are responsible for the payment of a R600-00 non-refundable admin fee. Banking details for this fee is provided on the AFM Seminary form:

Canada is proud to host Pentecostal leaders from around the globe for the 25th Pentecostal World Conference. We welcome you to be part of this global event being held August 27–30, 2019. Featuring over 55 guests from all over the world, Canada is proud to host Spirit-filled believers for this four-day event, where intentionally chosen speakers will challenge our hearts. The Pentecostal World Fellowship is a co-operative body of Pentecostal churches and groups worldwide of approved standing, and PAOC is a member.

Search

Contact the AFM National Office

AFM stands for “Apostolic Faith Mission” (in Afrikaans: “AGS – Apostoliese Geloofsending”). The AFM exists since 1908 and is the first and largest Pentecostal church in the country – with 1.4 million members in SA and currently established in 29 countries of the world. “Pentecostal” means that it is a church who believes that the Spirit of God is given to believers to live dynamic and overcoming lives.